Discussion Paper

This paper analyzes and identifies the deficiencies in the current migration governance system, delineates pressing and structural challenges to global governance of forced migration and recommends pathways through which the Group 20, which is an informal forum comprised of the 19 most influential economies in the world and the EU, could play a seminal role to mobilize reform in the current global refugee management system, advocate for better policy formulation and enhanced policy coherence, encourage equitable burden sharing and improve refugee transport and resettlement services in origin, first asylum, transition and destination countries.

Comments and Questions

Anonymous
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June 12, 2018 - 14:56

The policy brief provides an informative overview of the problems of the current international asylum system and some of the main challenges that should be tackled by G20 countries and the international community more generally. The authors suggest side meetings at the G20 to provide a regular platform to raise
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...funds, discuss burden sharing, and have high-level decision makers work on refugee-protection- and asylum-related issues. The proposed second reform, a push for policy coherence, would be beneficial but could only be part of a large reform of the global asylum system because it would otherwise further restrict destination countries’ room for maneuver, thus potentially resulting in gridlock and persistence in the status quo. The third reform proposal the authors make, centralization and streamlining, could be part of such a proposal. The policy brief is unfortunately missing a discussion of the incentives for the G20 members to follow these suggestions. This would have made the arguments more powerful.

Thanks to the reader for appreciating the informative overview presented on the deficiencies of the current international asylum system. We acknowledge your criticism and to some extent agree that pushing for policy coherence could be part of the global asylum system but we would like to highlight that many global
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...processes which require consensus and effort from a large range of countries and end up taking a lot of time. On the other hand if the G20 leaders, who are the most powerful global mobilizers today, could garner a much faster reform in policies due to the sheer weight of their global influence and ability. We agree that the paper could include further discussion on the incentives for G20 members to follow the stipulated suggestions and if there are ways for us to incorporate a discussion on incentives at this point we would follow through.